Level



WILLIAM J. STAPLETON, OF lflINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

LEVEL.

Application filed March 10, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. STAPLE- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepln and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Levels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an extremely simple and highly efficient level of the gravity-actuated type; and to this end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indictate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing the improved level;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 00 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a view principally in rear elevation of the gravity-actuated dial with some parts sectional on the line 50 m on Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top view of the improved level.

The body 1 of the level is shown as constructed of wood with the edges thereof, bound with metal angle pieces 2. It is, of course understood that in place of wood, the body 1 may be constructed of metal in the form of an eyebar, or of any other suitable form. An annular chamber or recess 3 is formed in one side of the body 1 at the longitudinal and transverse centers thereof. This body 1 is provided with an annular seat l formed by increasing the diameter of the outer portion of said chamber.

Mounted on the annular seat 4 with its outer face flush with the adjacent face of the body 1, is a face plate 5 having four circumferentially spaced sight openings 6. Integrally formed with the face plate 5 and projecting into each sight opening 6, is a V-shaped pointer 7 which extends toward the axis of said plate. These pointers 7 are located exactly ninety degrees apart. Two diametrically opposite pointers 7 are located at the longitudinal center of the body 1, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Serial No. 281,855.

the other two points extend at right angles thereto.

Within the chamber 3 is mounted a dial 8 graduated in degrees and fractions there of, and arranged fOr cooperation with the pointers 7. The dial 8 is rigidly secured to a short shaft 9 axially alined with the axis of the chamber 3 and face plate 5. The ends of the shaft 9 are of conical form and are journaled in bearings 10 and 11 having jewels in which the conical ends of said shaft are directly journaled.

The bearing 10 is rigidly secured to the back of the face plate 5, and the bearing 11 is provided with a screw stem 12 hav ing screwthreaded engagement with a flanged and recessed nut block 13. This nut block 13 is rigidly secured to the body 1 by wood screws 14, and its recess, in which the outer end of the screw stem 12 projects is normally closed by a cover plate 15 which is flush with the adjacent face of the body 1 and is also held in position by the screws 14-. ()bviously, by removing the cover plate 15 and applying a screw driver to the screw stem 12 and rotating the same, the bearing 11 may be moved axially toward and from the bearing 10 to afford the proper spacing of the bearings for the shaft 9.

A weight 16 is rigidly secured to the back of the dial 8 and eccentric to the axis thereof, This weight 16, under the action of gravity, keeps the zero point of the dial in a true vertical position above the axis of the dial 8 and the weight 16'. The weight shown is in the form of an annular casing rigidly secured to the back of the dial and is filled with mercury. When the body of the level is in a true horizontal or vertical position, the pointers 7 are at the 0, 90, 90 and 180 degree marks on the dial 8.

The chamber 3, and hence the sight openings 6, is closed by a transparent cover plate 17 of celluloid, or other suitable material. This cover plate 17 is interposed between the face plate 5 and dial 8 and is mounted in the annular seat 4 and held in position by the face plate 5 which, in turn, is detachably secured to the body 1 by wood screws 18. At the axis of the cover plate 17 is an opening to receive the bearing 10, and said bearing is provided with an annular flange 10 which overlaps the cover plate 17 and afl'ords a tight joint therebetween. Obviously, this cover plate 17 excludes all dust and dirt from the chamber 3, and hence,

from the bearings for the dial 8. The four sight openings 6 and pointers 7 make it possible to read the dial when the level is turned either end up, or either longitudinal edge up. They also make it possible to very easily and quickly read the dial when the level is held in various oblique positions.

The intermediate portion of the face plate 5 afiords a support for one of the bearings for-the dial 8, and also protects the fragile cover plate 17.

Integrally formed With-the periphery of the dial 8 is an annular rearwardly projecting flange 19 having its outer face graduated in degreesand fractions thereof. The zero point of these graduations is at the samepoint as the zero point of the graduations on the faceofthe dial 8. In the top of the body 1 is a sight opening 20 through Whichthe Lgraduations on the flange 19 may be read. This sight opening 20 is closed by a transparent panel '21 of the same material as thecoverl7. Marked on the panel 21 is a hair line 22 with which the zero point of the graduations on the'flange 19 coincides when the level is in a true horizontal position. Obviously, the graduations on the flange 19 make it an extremely easy matter to read the level in running grades.

hat I claim is:

The combination with the body of a level having a recess, of a face plate closing said recess and having a bearing, a cover equipped recessed nut block secured to said body, a stem extending through the bottom of the recess in the nut block and having screw=threaded engagement with said nut block for axial adjustment toward and from said bearing, said stem also having a socket in its inner end, a bearing mounted in said socket, and a gravity-actuated indicating member-mounted in the recess in said body and having a shaft journaled in said two bearings.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lVILLIAM J. STAPLETON. Witnesses CLARA Dnimnns'r, H. D. KILGORE. 

